Dunwoody data center construction concerns residents
Raeden, a data center developer, acquired an existing data center campus in Dunwoody, Georgia, leading to construction concerns from local residents. Residents raised issues about noise, lack of notification, and potential environmental impacts, despite Raeden's assurances of no expansion and noise/water mitigation technologies. The city and Raeden have committed to better communication moving forward.
Raeden, a data center developer and operating company, has acquired an 88,000-square-foot data center campus at 40 Perimeter Center East in Dunwoody, Georgia. Co-founder and president Jason Green met with Village Springs Place residents on September 29 to address concerns about ongoing construction, including the demolition of a parking deck and interior renovations. Residents were not properly notified about the initial construction activity, an oversight both Raeden and the City of Dunwoody acknowledged and claimed responsibility for, promising better communication in the future.
Green assured residents that the building's footprint will not expand, contradicting a map circulated by previous owners. Raeden is investing $500 million in capital costs and $2 billion in computers, with Alembic, an AI platform company, secured as a tenant under a minimum 10-year contract. Green emphasized that the Dunwoody facility is not a hyperscale data center and will use attenuated chillers, noise-reduction technology, and a noise-damping wall to mitigate sound. He also stated the facility would use a closed-loop air-cooled chilling system, requiring minimal water beyond staff needs.
Despite Raeden's reassurances, residents, including Charles Goldberg, expressed ongoing concerns about noise, potential damage to the tree buffer, and pollution in Nancy Creek. They are requesting an independent third-party sound study. Goldberg also noted that a data center moratorium enacted by DeKalb County does not apply to incorporated areas like Dunwoody, leaving the city as the primary oversight for the project. Dunwoody Mayor Lynn Deutsch had previously attempted to market the property for alternative uses.